Wrought Iron Door by Manuel Ballarin, Palau del Baro de Quadras, Barcelona

This a detail of the ironwork at the entrance of Palau del Baro de Quadras in Barcelona.

This exquisite modernist wrought iron door was made by artist Manuel Ballarin i Lancuentra.

From his foundry Casa Ballarin, the most important in the city by the end of the XIX century came out most of the iron art works present in the buildings by architect Puig i Cadafalch like Casa Amatller, Casa Macaya, Casa Serra among others.

Check this lamp post at Passeig de Gracia by Ballarin or this remarkable gates detail at Casa Marti.

Girl at the Bar, Estacion de Francia, Barcelona

I liked the looks of this girl at the bar in Estació de Françia, Barcelona, with the blue and yellow lights falling on her, in front of the art nouveau lamp. Perhaps you would like to have a closer look of the lamp and see the beer pump as shown in previous post: Beer Pump and Lamp or want to check the entrance to the railway station: Woman waiting at Estación de Francia or Estació de França or Barcelona's most charming railway station. I think one of the best things about Barcelona is that you can enjoy art for a reasonable price, you can take a drink in a beautiful place like this for an affordable amount and of course I don't mean just the bar but the architecture of the building and the whole design of the place.

Estacion de Francia, Barcelona: Lamp and Beer Pump

Upon entering Estació de França in Barcelona and if you turn right and get into the bar you will find out that the place has been restored recently with great taste by the way. Worth mentioning are the big lamps hanging from the ceiling but today I would like to show you the ones on the counter (see image) next to the beer pump. A sweet mixture of tree, anemone and candlestick. I hope you enjoy the design and/or the beer.

Llongueras Hairdresser in Barcelona

I did not really know what title to choose for this image. The man facing the woman in the poster, standing under a beautiful ceiling lamp was the first thing I wanted to show but then on second thought I realized that the Llongueras hairdresser in the background, run by a well known coiffeur in the city was better for my SEO. I find this a dilemma nowadays, either you get artistic with your titles, you know, trying to express a concept with one or two words, like say, "Waiting" or you mention the obvious: "Man and Lamp". But then there is the third choice which is the most abject, trying to please search engines to stay on top. Well, I think I managed to squeeze all possible titles in the post, that is the last minute resource. The hairdresser is at Passeig de Gracia, one of the many by the same name spread around Barcelona.

Passeig de Lluís Companys and Barcelona's Arch of Triumph

Here is yet another angle to better appreciate Barcelona's Arch of Triumph (Arc de Triomf). This time as seen from Passeig de Lluis Companys, a great site to bask in the sun, reading under a wonderful modernista lamp, ride a bike, jog or just walk. The place has been described here in Barcelona Photoblog many times so I recommend you check these popular posts. By the way, we are having a wonderful pre-spring weekend over here, fair skies, 18º C, what else could you ask for!

Modernist Lamp, Casa Amatller, Barcelona

This is a detail of one of the art nouveau style lamps at Casa Amatller on Passeig de Gracia, Barcelona. Of course the original is more beautiful but I hope this is enough teaser for you to visit the famous house and take a good look at it.

More about Casa Amatller in this previous post: Casa Amatller Modernist Stained Glass Ceiling

Color Circles Detail on Art Nouveau Door, Barcelona

After much thought and realizing my weekend photo walks were practically nil, I've decided to sacrifice lunch time at the office to go downtown (Passeig de Gracia is about 5 blocks away from work) and enjoy doing what I like most, street photography.

So while the archives pile up and run amok, just exaggerating a little bit here, why not starting with a colorful abstraction to draw your attention and stimulate the senses.

This is a detail of an Art Nouveau stained glass door you can admire inside Casa Amatller, that other house next to more popular Casa Batlló. Here is the ceiling at Amatller modernista house and a window detail.

Watch this beautiful modernist lamp at Amatller House or take a glimpse at the indented façade by Puig i Cadafalch

Font de Canaletes in Las Ramblas: FC Barcelona's Totem

I don't know in your city, but some Spanish soccer teams have this special place to celebrate victories, or better said, a meeting point for their fans, usually in open spaces around a fountain or a roundabout. In our collective memories that special object or place becomes some sort of ancestral totem, an emblem to tell adversaries that we have won and everybody should show respect. Of course, this sounds pretty boastful, but you know what I am talking about, in 2010 we still use the language of the tribe, we have an area for our rituals and we dance around our totem, chanting menacingly to scare away evil spirits and daunt our foes. FC Barcelona enthusiasts concentrate around Font de Canaletes a small modest all-in-one water fountain and lamp post with a lot of history in Las Ramblas, maybe not as opulent as their main rival's favorite place, you know who I am talking about, but a totem that talks of brave people that deserve a lot of respect. Long live FC Barcelona!

Down El Born Streets

Walking down El Born streets in Barcelona. Early in the morning. The smell of night and terraces still fading away, diluting in the puddles left by cleaning city services. Sidewalks populated little by little. Lamp post bulbs still warm. Artists setting up their painting boards. Curious cameras stalking behind corners.

The Arch of Triumph: Celestial Trumpets

Imposing rose the brick walls of Barcelona's Arch of Triumph. Archangels on the frieze seemed to be stalking while pretending to be blowing the trumpets to merrily celebrate victory. I decided to edit the picture with some infrared color and then tinted black and white to add some more dramatism to the image. In case you want to see the whole monument, other details of the architecture or learn about its history please check these previous posts:

• Under the Arc de Triomf
• Arc de Triomf: A Landmark of Barcelona
• Triumph Arch or Arc de Triomphe
• Arc de Triomph Detail with Modernist Street Lamp

Lamp Post by Falques, Avinguda Gaudi, Barcelona

There was a time when this modernist lamp post along with other three, were part of an imaginary geometric figure on a square at the intersection of Avinguda Diagonal and Passeig de Gracia known as Cinc D'Oros (Five of Gold in a deck of Spanish cards). Although the decision to make the square dates back to 1907, meant to honor Pi i Maragall, president of the Republic, it wasn't till 1915 that the place was fully conditioned.

First there were only the stones and a round space in the middle. The lamp posts, later fixed on the stones, were made in 1909 by architect Pere Falqués, the same artist that created the famous 31 lamps integrated on benches along Passeig de Gracia. Maybe it was by that time that the curious name after the five of gold card appeared cause they looked so from above.

In 1934 the monument was officially inaugurated with a sculpture by Viladomat in the middle. Such sculpture devoted to the Republic was later replaced by an obelisk and a lady representing Victory (1940), in this case of General Franco, by sculptor Frederic Marès.

The four lamp posts and the statue once unmounted were stored in a municipal warehouse at carrer Wellington. The sculpture dedicated to the Republic was placed at Llucmajor square in Nou Barris quarter in 1990 and the lamps, well, now you know where they are. All four of them can be admired along Avinguda Gaudi which goes from Sant Pau Hospital (at my back in the picture) to Sagrada Familia cathedral in the background. I hope you like the black and white option.

Modernist Lamp Ironwork: Imaginative Design

Near Sagrada Familia and all along Avinguda Gaudi you come across beautiful modernist lamps like the one in this picture. Well this is only a detail of the wonderful design of the ironwork. Check the modernist lamp at Gaudi Avenue on my Google Maps. Finding here in full view in this other post:

Lamp post by Falques, Avinguda Gaudi, Barcelona

Look at this other beautiful street lamp near Arc de Triomf by Pere Falques.

Street Lamp, Portal del Angel, Barcelona

And now for something completely different, a modernist lamp at Portal del Angel, a very important street in Barcelona, near Plaza de Catalunya. Perfectly preserved, the lamp can be admired from a close distance since it is almost at street level. Other elaborate art nouveau lamps were shown here in the past: Art Nouveau Lamps.

The Art Nouveau Lamp in Barcelona, Europe

Decorative arts, architecture and other forms of artistic expression lived an authentic ecclosion by the end of XIX and the first years of XX c. in Catalonia as part of a cultural and political movement known as Renaixença which was spurred by the new spirit of the wealthy local bourgeoisie and their quest for industrial expansion, the influence of Paris and other industrialized European countries as the new model to follow in opposition to the retrograde, stale Castilian yoke. The cultural side of this renaissance, this art nouveau and the way it manifested in Catalonia is called Modernisme. A lamp was just a lamp but all of sudden there was an urge for innovation and new trends, an outburst of creativity that said hey this is our art, it is Catalan, we borrowed some elements from the most modern and fashion countries in Europe and Asia, we improved it and lifted it to the category of divine, we are educated, passionate for art, powerful and basically we don't need your Royal Majesties anymore, in fact we never did. Of course this is history in a very personal and simplified way. Here is another modernist lamp.

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Street Lamp Crown Detail in Barri Gotic, Barcelona

This kind of lamp is the most abundant along the streets in the old part of the city. You can appreciate on the ironwork a detail of Barcelona coat of arms.

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Art Nouveau Lamp at Casa Mila or La Pedrera

This impressive art nouveau lamp that reminds me of some ancient diver's helmet or the head of a dragonfly with a little more imagination, hangs from the ceiling in the hall of La Pedrera or Casa Mila, built by Gaudi between 1906 and 1910. Brothers Badia were the iron forgers so I assume they had to do with this lamp but so far I haven't been able to find out who designed such beauty. You can find a thumbnail of La Pedrera on my Google Map below.

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Obelisk at the Intersection of Passeig de Gracia and Diagonal, Barcelona, Spain

This obelisk you find at the intersection of two main arteries in Barcelona, Passeig de Gracia and Diagonal. Known as the Lápiz (the pencil) it is located on the center of a quite peculiar crossroad that goes by the name of Cinc d'Oros (Five of golds, that is, the golden coins, one of the suits in the Baraja Española or Spanish cards) due to four lamp posts that used to surround the monument. The sculpture represents Franco's victory and dates back from 1940 (I can't believe it is still there considering what it represents!). Well the woman was sculpted by Frederic Marès. It must be said that the original statue (1936), by Josep Viladomat, was dedicated to the Republic, the lady was wearing no robe and instead of being on the present pedestal it was standing on top of the obelisk. Most of all, I enjoyed the combination with the beautiful face in the background, thanks to that the Lápiz looks less boring.

Barcelona Coat of Arms

Barcelona coat of arms can be appreciated on this lamp post located in Passeig de Lluis Companys near Arc de Triomf. The city coat of arms is a blend of the arms of the counts of Barcelona and the arms of Aragon. It was conceded to the city on July 4th 1345. The cross is that of St. George who is the patron saint of the city. In case you wonder what the lines mean (red on yellow in the flag and original coat of arms) you should know that the red ones stand for the blood that the French emperor Charles the Bald drew with the blood of the Count of Barcelona, Guifré el Pilós on the golden shield of the Count.

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Arc de Triomph Detail with Modernist Street Lamp

This a detail of our Arc de Triomf (L'arc de Triomphe - The Arch of Triumph) which I had ignored in my pictures so far, maybe because obvious things in the city sometimes are overlooked by its inhabitants. Next to the monument and all along Passeig de Lluis Companys you have these wonderful Catalan Art Nouveau street lamps. Built during the 1888 Universal Exhibition by architect Josep Vilaseca i Casanovas, the arch was the main entrance to the venues. As you can see it is made of bricks and is an important representative of the Moorish revival style. Check my google map below to find the exact place in Barcelona.

A Purple Fantasy: Bubbles at CosmoCaixa, Barcelona

Purple or magenta, the point is that this image is to be regarded more as an abstraction. I decided to follow one of those typical bubbles inside a lava lamp, you know, the ones that hypnotize and make you look like an idiot. The place CosmoCaixa again. This is more some sort of experiment and not exactly a lava lamp I guess but it reminds me of the old fashioned contrivance.

A Brief History of the Lava Lamp by Spacehopper.

How to make your own Lava Lamp

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